2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite Review

If you need to haul six to eight people on a regular basis,
with the option to stuff your vehicle with stuff of varying size and shape,
and enjoy the comfort of a car, there is really only one type of vehicle
that will do the job.

A minivan.

The basic American minivan concept -- a one-and-a-half box
unibody vehicle with a transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive
drivetrain for maximum space utilization and sliding passenger doors for
ease of passenger access in tight parking spaces -- has been around since
the mid-1980s, and can be considered a proven design. Exceptions from that
spec have proven unsuccessful.

Honda's original Odyssey, introduced in 1995, with four
car-like hinged doors and a smaller size than the then-typical minivan, was
more like a European multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) than an American minivan.
It wasn't a spectacular success, so was replaced in 1999 by a much more
standard-issue second generation. If you can't beat them, join them, and
then beat them on standard equipment and refinement.

That Odyssey's distinguishing feature was the disappearing
third-row Magic Seat®, which folded flat into a well to the rear for a
flat load floor seat-down, or a convenient space to contain groceries that
may slip out of bags seat-up. No lost fruit turning into science
projects… and like all good ideas, it has been much-copied since.

After mostly evolutionary development, the Odyssey gets a
major makeover for 2011. While still a standard minivan in overall design,
it's longer (by less than an inch), a bit (0.4 inches) lower, and 2.1
inches wider on the same 118.1-inch wheelbase. No great change by numbers,
but in the sheetmetal it looks completely different, and distinctive.

Suspension is still fully-independent MacPherson
strut/multilink, and its redesigned platform is lighter and more rigid.
Power is from a 248-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 with Variable Cylinder
Management (VCM) to improve fuel efficiency. The front wheels are driven
through a five-speed automatic in the entry-level but well-equipped LX and
midrange EX and EX-L models, while the luxury premium Touring and Touring
Elite get a six-speed.

"Press fleet spec" usually means top of the line, and that
would be the 2011 Odyssey Touring Elite that's been my transportation for
the past week. With leather, navigation and rear-seats DVD systems,
upgraded audio with 5.1 surround sound, and blind spot information system
among its standard equipment list, it seemingly had everything but the
kitchen sink -- including "cool box" air-conditioned storage at the bottom
of the console. As with previous Odysseys, the latest is stable and secure
on the road, with all the comfort of a super-sized Accord. Decreased
weight, improved aerodynamics, and the longer high gears of the six-speed
transmission made for notably good acceleration into traffic and improved
gas mileage at 20 mpg overall -- not bad at all for a 4500-pound vehicle.
And if your budget or needs aren't at Touring Elite level, the "lesser"
trim levels offer all of the necessities and most of the comforts in a very
good package.

APPEARANCE: Where "longer, lower, wider" was once the motto
for gratuitous styling change for the sake of change, and even
space-inefficiency, it's good for the Odyssey. While still obviously a
minivan, and not all that much changed in measurements, it is distinctive
and unmistakable in both proportion and style. That's a good trick in a
stylistically conservative and generic field. The new Honda grille and
headlight treatment, as seen on the current Accord, cap the short hood for
instant identification, but the most distinguishing styling feature is the
"lightning bolt" zig-zag of the lower side window line behind the C-pillar.
The highly-raked windshield and attention to underbody airflow improve not
only looks, but aerodynamic drag and fuel economy as well.

COMFORT: A minivan is all about people first, then cargo and
combinations thereof. So access, space, and comfort are important. No
disappointment in the newest Honda Odyssey. At EX level and above the dual
sliding doors are power-operated, ditto for the tailgate at EX-L and above.
Step-in is as low as a car, with comfortable, high-eyepoint seating for all
passengers -- even those in the third row. That's split 60/40 and has
excellent headroom, with legroom depending on the fore-and-aft adjustment
of the second row seats. It's cozy but possible for three adults. The
second row is split 40/20/40, with all sections adjustable fore-and-aft.
The center part can be moved forward, child seat attached, to put that
child within reach of the front passenger, or the center seatback may be
folded forward for an armrest. If fitted, the DVD player screen is in the
ceiling above the front seatbacks. The second-row seats may be removed to
convert the van to cargo duty, and in that configuration a 4x8 foot sheet
of plywood can fit.
Interior styling is clean and functional, with excellent space utilization
and plenty of space to utilize, plus many storage spaces of varying size.
And cup- and bottle-holders for all and then some. The front seats,
power-adjustable in the Touring, offer very good support and comfort. The
tilt- and telescope-adjustable steering wheel has audio, cruise, phone, and
information display controls, and the shift lever is placed conveniently
close by on the center console extension. The main instruments are easily
visible in front of the driver. Climate controls are separate from the
Touring Elite's navigation/trip/traffic/calendar/etc system inputs, which
are controlled by a simple hybrid touch-screen/hard button interface. A
large console box with cupholders and an open tray on top sits between the
front seats; more storage, including the cool box, is in the lower part of
the center stack.

SAFETY: Honda has designed and built the 2011 Odyssey to get
the highest possible NHTSA safety ratings, results of which are not yet
available. It is expected to also score high in IIHS crash testing. Honda's
"Advanced Compatibility Engineering™" unibody structure improves
passenger protection and crash compatibility, especially in frontal
collisions. Four-wheel antilock disc brakes with brake assist and
electronic brake force distribution stop quickly, and the Vehicle Stability
Assist™ system offers further protection. There's a full complement
of airbags, dual front with passenger detection, front seat side, and
three-row side curtains with rollover sensing. The Touring Elite's blind
spot monitoring system and the rearview camera in EX-L models and above
further improve the driver's awareness of surroundings.

RIDE AND HANDLING: At 4300 to 4600 lbs depending on model and
equipment, the 2011 is not a lightweight vehicle. But it is 50 to 100
pounds (again depending on model) less than the previous-generation
equivalent, with improved structural rigidity as a bonus. Credit greater
use of high-strength steel for that. As has been the case since the
beginning, suspension is fully independent by means of MacPherson struts in
front and a modified multilink double-wishbone system in the rear. Careful
attention to spring rates and damping gives very good ride comfort and
minimal body pitch and roll, always good with small children in the rear
seat.

PERFORMANCE: Compared to the previous Odyssey, the decreased
weight and better aerodynamics of the newest generation help improve both
fuel economy and performance. The six-speed automatic in the Touring and
Touring Elite offers further improvement. All models now have the latest
version of Honda's 3.5-liter single overhead cam alloy V6, with i-VTEC
variable valve lift and cam phasing, and Variable Cylinder Management to
allow deactivation of up to three cylinders when cruising at steady speed
for further improvement in fuel economy. Active engine mounts and a
noise-cancellation system mitigate any change in engine noise or vibration
in various modes. With all cylinders firing, maximum horsepower is 248 (at
5700 rpm), with the torque peak of 250 lb-ft at 4800. And plenty of useful
low-end torque for dealing with traffic. If "minivan" means "slow" to you,
think again. 0-60 time is around 7.5 seconds, just keep the kids strapped
in tightly. Getting into fast traffic is no problem, and the blind spot
system helps in merging. EPA fuel economy is 19 mpg city / 28 highway, up
from the previous 17/25. In my week of mixed driving I got a 20 mpg
average.

CONCLUSIONS: The redesigned 2011 Honda Odyssey is a
formidable competitor in the minivan class.

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